128632: Ruling on accepting food and sweets from a kaafir

If a Christian or Jewish person gives me sweets or food or a drink, is it permissible for me to ask whether it is halaal or not, or whether there is pork in it or not? Or should I keep quiet and mention the name of Allah and eat? What I mean is asking one of the Muslim brothers for his opinion about what it contains.

Praise be to Allaah.

Firstly:

It is permissible to accept a gift from a non-Muslim because
he is a relative or neighbour, or for the purpose of softening his heart and
calling him to Islam, but it is haraam if it is done as an act of friendship
or love, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“O you who believe! Take not the Jews and the Christians
as Awliyaa’ (friends, protectors, helpers), they are but Awliyaa’ of each
other. And if any amongst you takes them (as Awliyaa’), then surely, he is
one of them. Verily, Allaah guides not those people who are the Zaalimoon
(polytheists and wrongdoers and unjust)”

[al-Maa’idah 5:51]

“O you who believe! Take not as (your) Bitaanah (advisors,
consultants, protectors, helpers, friends) those outside your religion
(pagans, Jews, Christians, and hypocrites) since they will not fail to do
their best to corrupt you. They desire to harm you severely. Hatred has
already appeared from their mouths, but what their breasts conceal is far
worse. Indeed We have made plain to you the Ayaat (proofs, evidences,
verses) if you understand”

[Aal ‘Imraan 3:118].

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
accepted the invitation of a Jewish woman and ate her food.

In his Saheeh, al-Bukhaari included a chapter entitled
Chapter on Accepting Gifts from Mushrikeen, in which he (may Allah have
mercy on him) said:

Abu Hurayrah narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) that Ibraaheem (peace be upon him) travelled with
Sarah and entered a village in which there was a king or a tyrant. He (the
king) said: Give her Haajir (the mother of Ismaa’eel, peace be upon him).
And the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was given a gift
of a sheep containing poison. And Abu Humayd said: The king of Aylah gave
the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) a white mule and a
cloak. And he quoted the story of the Jewish woman who gave the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) the poisoned sheep.

Secondly:

It is permissible to eat meat slaughtered by a Jew or a
Christian, subject to certain conditions:

1.
That it be slaughtered in the
same manner as the Muslims; so the throat and oesophagus should be cut and
the blood should be allowed to flow. If he kills it by strangling, electric
shock or drowning in water, then it is not permissible to eat his meat, just
as if a Muslim does that, it is not permissible to eat his meat.

2.
The name of Allah should be
mentioned over it, and no other name should be mentioned such as the name of
Christ or anyone else, because Allah says (interpretation of the meaning):
“Eat not (O believers) of that (meat) on which Allaah’s Name has not been
pronounced (at the time of the slaughtering of the animal)” [al-An’am 6:121].
And He says concerning haraam things (interpretation of the meaning): “He
has forbidden you only the Maytah (dead animals), and blood, and the flesh
of swine, and that which is slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than
Allaah (or has been slaughtered for idols, on which Allaah’s Name has not
been mentioned while slaughtering)” [al-Baqarah 2:173].

If it is not known how the meat was slaughtered or whether
the name of Allah was mentioned over it or not, it is permissible to eat it
and he does not have to ask about how it was slaughtered, because of the
report narrated by al-Bukhaari (2057) from ‘Aa’ishah (may Allah be pleased
with her), according to which some people said: O Messenger of Allah, some
people bring meat to us and we do not know whether they mentioned the name
of Allah over it or not. The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him) said: “Mention the name of Allah over it and eat it.”

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

So it is permissible to eat even if we do not know whether
the slaughterer mentioned the name of Allah or not. Similarly, it is
permissible to eat even if we do not know whether it was slaughtered in the
proper manner or not, because if an action is done by the appropriate
people, then in principle it is valid and sound unless there is evidence to
the contrary. If we receive some meat from a Muslim or a Jew or a Christian,
we should not ask about it and we should not ask how it was slaughtered or
whether the name of Allah was mentioned over it or not. It is halaal so long
as there is no proof that it is haraam, and this is one of the ways in which
Allah has made things easy for us. End quote.

This is with regard to things in which proper slaughter is
stipulated, such as animals and birds.

With regard to fish, sweets and vegetables, there is nothing
wrong with eating them, unless it is known that something haraam has been
put in them, such as alcohol or lard (pork fat).

The ruling of prohibition cannot be confirmed on the basis of
doubt. But if a person tries to be careful and only eats that which he knows
and is certain that it is free of haraam things, then this is better.

The Jews adhere to the proper method of slaughter, and they
avoid pork.

For more information please see the answer to question number
88206 and
85108.